LI: To be able to write an effective opening paragraph. 

 

Last week, you worked on linking ideas within paragraphs, using topic sentences and turning notes into prose.   This week you are going to write an effective opening for the model text we have been using.   

 

Here is an example of an effective opening:

 

"Are you prepared to embark on an underwater adventure? Discover a miracle of the ocean - the killer whale.  Find out about its diet; social structure and character.  Read on and befriend this wonder of the sea."

 

Here is the opening from your Ancient Greek report, but does it grab your attention?

 

"Nearly four thousand years ago, in the countries that we now know as Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, the earliest Greek civilisations prospered. Between 2000BC and 146BC, their dominant empire spread throughout most of Europe, as far as France."

 

Using the following success criteria write your own introduction for the Ancient Greek report, you can use ideas from the example above and adapt it to show it is now your own writing and your own ideas:

 

• The report has a clear opening that shows what the report will be about - it states the purpose. 
• The paragraph includes generalisations - it will refer to the subheadings in the main body of the report.
• It might begin with a question.
• The style is formal - personal pronouns such as I, we and you are not used. Contracted words are not used.
• It is written in the 3rd person - This report will inform the reader about...........

 

When you have finished you need to proof-read your work.  Is your writing joined and neatly written on the line?  Have you started your sentences in a variety of ways? Have you checked your basic punctuation is correct for each sentence and have you checked your spellings?